The purpose of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is to protect the health and safety of employees in the workplace. OSHA aims to save lives by creating safety regulations and fining businesses who fail to take adequate measures to protect the safety of their employees.
Unfortunately, given the limited resources available to OSHA and vast number of workplaces that fall under their jurisdiction, OSHA cannot offer every individual the protection he or she needs.
Thankfully, many employees in Ohio will benefit from a new alliance between OSHA and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation and the Council of Smaller Enterprises.
According to a recent article in Safety Online and a press release from OSHA, the goal of the alliance is to provide employees and employers with “information, guidance and access to training resources to protect the safety and health of workers in the manufacturing, services and construction industries.”
Whenever projects require additional safety measures, there are usually additional costs as well. Safety harnesses, helmets, railings – it all comes with a cost. However, many smaller businesses do not have the resources available to foot the bill.
One goal of the new alliance is to help ensure businesses have the resources they need to “control the hazards” their employees may face. By becoming a more integrated part of Ohio businesses, OSHA also hopes to increase the lines of communication between themselves, employers and employees. The hope is that increased communication will help build a stronger, more open and cooperative relationship between the workers and their employers, helping ensure safer workplaces.
Source: Safety Online, “US Department of Labor’s OSHA Establishes Alliance To Protect Ohio Workers In Manufacturing, Service, Construction Industries,” OHSA, 11 May 2011